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Finding the Lessons in Grief

The past week and half of my life have been crazy... A week and half ago we received a phone call in the middle of the night that would every change our life. My father in law passed away very suddenly. We were immediately shocked and heart broken.
He was a jack of all trades,
a man who has traveled, a man who has served our country, and a man who is
loved by so many.

I went from being in full school mode, to needing to completely remove myself from school and be with my family. Changing my main role for the time being. The past two weeks have been hard, but there has been many underlying lessons. When we grieve it is hard to look for the lessons, but it is necessary to keeping us going. 1. Build Relationships
Throughout life, we are constantly being pulled in different directions and don't always spend enough time building our relationships. This is becoming more and more difficult in a digital age, where face to face communication is becoming less common.

Take an interest in people and be present to serve. We are all here to help each other get through life and help each other discover and reach your dreams.

2. Cherish your Time
If there is something in your life that you want to do, do it! I am constantly creating lists of things that I want to do, but not always sure if I will get the opportunity. We need to put ourselves in a position that when we are giving the chance, we can jump on it.

Stay healthy and get active to make sure that you have the opportunity to do the things in life that you want. 3. Work will Always Be There.

When my life got turned upside down a week and half ago, I didn't know what to do. I am in the final push for the school year and needed to keep things rolling.

I made the choice that I needed to take time to with my wife and kids. I needed to take time to mourn, I needed to take time to organize my thoughts, and I needed to be present. Some of my time I spent just sitting there with my family, not always talking, just being present. We leaned on each other and received support from our friends and family.

I felt bad that I was not at work, but my staff did an amazing job, letting me be. They didn't share there needs and worries with me during this time. They let me be present.

As I get ready to return on Monday, I am excited to be back, I am excited to see my students, I am excited to see my staff, I am excited to continue building relationships and be present.

We will all experience shock and grief at some point in our life. It is a part of life's journey that we need to expect and be ready for. Build relationships, have your priorities, and be present for all that life as to offer.

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Comments

Hey buddy...I am so sorry for your family's loss. I am glad you were able to spend time with family mourning and celebrating the impact your father-in-law had in your lives. Your blog post is a great reminder to treat each day as a gift. You are in my prayers.

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